Historic church hit hard by weatherAssociated Press COLUMBUS — The Bible says the rain falls on the just and the unjust, and that’s something the members of Columbus Baptist Church have found rings true. Weather woes seemingly caused the tall, 128-year-old church in Columbus to lean to one side, which resulted in buckled walls, broken windows and doors that won’t shut and made it unsafe for the small congregation to hold worship services there. Church officials believe the dama...

Confederate heritage group loses influenceBy JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The Sons of Confederate Veterans knew an attack on their cherished symbols would come after seeing photos of the white man accused of killing nine black churchgoers displaying Confederate battle flags. They just didn’t expect it from their right flank. Leland Summers, the group’s leader in South Carolina, now feels betrayed by the same Republicans who courted their loyalties for decades...

Texarkana authorities search for driver after kittens killedTEXARKANA — Texarkana officials are searching for a truck driver after a bag of kittens was thrown out of a moving vehicle and run over. Animal Care and Adoption Center Director Charles Lokey tells the Texarkana Gazette that five kittens died Wednesday and that one survived. A witness took the surviving kitten to the shelter. Lokey says authorities are reviewing camera footage from a business that might have captured an image of the vehicle. H...

Teenager injured in shooting at Little Rock homeLITTLE ROCK — Police are investigating after a teenager was injured in a shooting in Little Rock. According to Little Rock Police Department Sgt. Bryan Brown, officers responded to a report of a 17- or 18-year-old being shot at a residence in the South End area Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say the victim was shot in the arm, and the bullet exited through the opposite side of his body and hit a dresser inside the home. Brown said the victim...

2 boys accused of killing, mutilating catAssociated Press JONESBORO — Two Arkansas boys are accused of mutilating and killing a kitten, but court officials say they’re too young to be charged as delinquents. One of the children told a neighbor, who reported the incident Saturday afternoon after discovering the kitten’s remains in his backyard, The Jonesboro Sun reported. Jonesboro police said the stepfather of the 8- and 9-year-old children brought the kitten home after finding it wa...

Governor open to bids for education test providerLITTLE ROCK — Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday he’s open to Arkansas considering multiple proposals from standardized testing companies after he ordered education officials to drop out of an assessment linked to the Common Core standards. A day after directing state officials to withdraw from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Consortium, the Republican governor said he believed there was time to issue a reques...

Hutchinson open to bidding for new education test providerLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday he's open to Arkansas considering multiple proposals from standardized testing companies after he ordered education officials to drop out of an assessment linked to the Common Core standards. A day after directing state officials to withdraw from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Consortium, the Republican governor said he believed there was time to issue a r...

Prison department wants details of federal probeLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Department of Correction has formally requested details of the allegations that initiated a federal investigation into possible sexual abuse and harassment at a women's prison. In a letter dated Thursday, June 18, and sent to the U.S. Department of Justice Division of Civil Rights, Department of Correction Director Wendy Kelley wrote that it's her department's duty to investigate any allegations against current ...

Big retailers feel pressure on Confederate flag merchandiseEven as national retailers pull Confederate flags from shelves and websites after the shooting deaths of nine black church members in South Carolina, manufacturers that produce the divisive symbol say that sales are now surging. "I don't sell the Confederate flag for any specific group, I just sell the flag," said Kerry McCoy, owner and president of Arkansas' FlagandBanner.com. "This is America. Everybody has a right to be represented whether ...

New Little Rock superintendent discusses plans for districtLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Little Rock lawyer hired to lead a financially strapped school district now controlled by the state said Tuesday that he's cut about $12.5 million from the district's budget and made other positive changes since taking the helm two months ago. Speaking to the Political Animals Club during a luncheon at the Governor's Mansion, Baker Kurrus called himself a "nontraditional superintendent" who was focusing on running the la...

Arkansas State Police begins redacting crash-report dataLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas State Police is citing a 21-year-old federal privacy law as their primary reason for withholding information from vehicle crash reports. The agency’s new policy, which began June 4, means that the only personal information available on crash reports are the names and hometowns of fatalities, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1eDvw2I ) reported. Other information, including the names of other drivers and passen...

Authorities recover body of missing Missouri man MARSHALL, Ark. (AP) — Authorities have recovered the body of a Missouri man reported missing in the Buffalo National River last week during rough weather. The National Park Service says search crews on Monday morning found the body of 22-year-old Curtis Miller of Independence, Missouri. The park service says Miller's body was found in sandbar about 2 miles downstream from Grinder's Ferry in Searcy County, Arkansas, where Miller was last seen s...

Pig Trail closed again after heavy rains in NW ArkansasCASS, Ark. (AP) — Heavy rains along the Pig Trail Scenic Byway have undermined the road bed and forced highway officials to close it for the second time in a month. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department said Tuesday that large cracks have formed in the highway north of Cass. The closure is 19 miles north of Interstate 40. Highway department spokesman Danny Straessle said heavy rains Monday night caused a hill slide at the same spo...

Inmate dies after prison stabbingSEARCY (AP) — The Arkansas Department of Correction says an inmate treated and released from a hospital following a stabbing has died. Joe Harter, 32, was pronounced dead Wednesday morning at a Searcy hospital. Department officials say he was stabbed in the chest Monday during an altercation with another inmate at the Grimes Unit in Newport. They say a homemade weapon was confiscated after the attack. The identity of the other inmate hasn't be...

FBI: Man shot outside of Arkansas Air Force base diesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An armed man who was shot by guards after crashing his SUV while trying to break into an Arkansas military base has died, authorities said Wednesday. Larry D. McElroy, 43, died Tuesday night at a Little Rock hospital, FBI spokeswoman Deb Green said. McElroy had been in critical condition since Monday, when guards shot him after he crashed his SUV outside of the Little Rock Air Force Base and emerged from the vehicle holding ...

Highway crews closing exit to LR hospital SaturdayLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Road crews will close an exit to the Baptist Health complex in Little Rock this weekend during work on an access ramp. The exit from Interstate 630 eastbound and Interstate 430 northbound will be closed Saturday and traffic diverted to nearby Barrow Road. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department said Wednesday that workers will remove a temporary barrier wall and mark the pavement as work approaches an end around t...

Little Rock council rejects police residency requirementLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Little Rock City Council has rejected a proposal to require newly hired police officers to live within city limits. The council voted 6-4 Tuesday night against the residency requirement following nearly two hours of discussion and public comment. Councilwoman Erma Hendrix says her proposal was designed to better race relations following high-profile police shootings of black men. She says only 21 percent of the city's 35...

Lawmaker who gave away girls won't seek re-electionLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas lawmaker who gave his adopted daughters to a man who later admitted to sexually assaulting one of them says he won't seek re-election in 2016. Republican Rep. Justin Harris of West Fork says he made the decision about a month ago. Harris says he previously considered stepping back but acknowledged the decision was influenced by the widespread scrutiny following a March Arkansas Times article detailing Harris' act...

Maumelle man stabbed while in car near fire stationMAUMELLE (AP) — Police are investigating the stabbing of a man near a fire station in Maumelle. Steven Wilson, 39, was stabbed Monday afternoon while he was in his vehicle stopped at a stop sign. Capt. Jim Hansard said in a statement that Wilson told authorities a man walked up to his vehicle and stabbed him in the abdomen. Wilson said he drove himself to Maumelle Fire Station 2 after the incident. Police responded and found Wilson being treat...